Sushma declines to comment on Chidambaram''s charge

Nagapattinam (TN), Feb 4 (PTI) Senior BJP leader SushmaSwaraj today declined to comment on Union Home Minister PChidambaram''s charge that she was making "thoughtlessallegations" on the issue of P J Thomas'' appointment as theCentral Vigilance Commissioner.

"The matter is pending in the Supreme Court. It is notproper for me to comment on the matter," she told reportershere.

Chidambaram had accused Swaraj of making "thoughtlessallegations" and "tying herself in knots" by levelling thecharge that he had misled the panel, which selected Thomas asthe CVC.

"I take exception to the statement by Sushma Swaraj...

that I had ''misled the selection committee'' and told thecommittee that Thomas had been ''acquitted''," Chidambaram hadsaid in a statement on Wednesday.

Swaraj had accused Chidambaram of informing the committeethat Thomas had been acquitted in the Palmolein case.

Following this, she had asked whether Thomas was eligibleeven if he was acquitted in the case on the ground that theCVC must be an outstanding officer with impeccable integrity.

Asked about BJP''s stand on the need for a JPC probe inthe 2G spectrum scandal in the aftermath of former Telecomminister A Raja''s arrest, Swaraj said the party was firm onits demand for the same.

"We will continue to raise the need for a JPC and insiston that," she said.

The BJP leader was here to console the family members ofa fisherman who was killed allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navywhile fishing off the Kodaikarai coast on January 22.